Radiator



Marh 5," 1935. A. s. HEINRICH RADIATOR Filed April 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WWZM A TTORNEY.

March 5', 1935. A. s. HEINRICH 5 "RADIATDOR I Filed April 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 5,. 1935 UNITED STATESIPATENT OFFICE 14 Claims.

. This invention relates to radiators or heat exchangers, and particularly to radiators oi the tu-' bular type.

An object of the invention is to provide a radiator with passages for a circulating cooling medium in which the velocity of the medium is maintained substantially uniform throughout the radiator passages.

Another object of the invention is t radiator in which a liquid is directed through a maze of passages, certain of which are of greater width or cross section than the others, the larger passages being adapted to receive the liquid from a plurality of smaller passages.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a tubular radiator in which the' tubes in their assembled relation provide passages of unequal cross section graduated in accordance with the quantity of liquid flowing therethrough.

Another object of the invention is to provide a radiator with a. plurality of tube assemblies which are connected at their ends and separated intermediate their ends by baiiies which direct the cooling fluid in a. plurality of directions through the radiator.

A Another object of the invention is to provide a radiator with the inlet and outlet connections on the same side of the radiator, the liquid being prevented from passing directly from the inlet to the outlet without passing through the cooling portion of the radiator.

A feature of the invention relates to the construction of the tubes, which are preferably expanded at their ends and so shaped as to be spaced apart in unequal distances measured on coordinate axes.

In a desirable embodiment of the invention; the tubesare elliptical or lozenge shape throughout their body portions and have expanded polygonal ends of symmetrical form but have sides of unequal length. The general shape of the preferred form of expanded end may be described as an irregular polygonal openingisymmetrical about coordinate axes, the narrow portions actin as spacers to increase the distance between tubes in one direction. The expanded ends are also preferably characterized by having flared and unflared sides which, in the assembled relation, cooperate to produce the unequal spacing above described.

Other objects andieatures of the invention will be apparent from the following description, in connection with which a preferred embodiment of the invention been illustrated in the accompanying drawings. in which:

o provide a Fig. 1 is a somewhatditic front elevation of a radiator constructed according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view partly in section showing a group of assembled tubes; f

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of a group of assembled tubes similar to that shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line H of Fig. 2; j

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of one end 10 of a single tube taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line .6-6ofF18-2;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken along the line- 7-7 of Fig. 2 showing the relation of the spacers 15 which act as stops to limitdisplacement of the tubes intermediatetheir ends; and,

Fig. 8 is a view of a slightly different form of the invention.

The radiator is preferably constructed of 'a 20 number or individual tubes 10 having elliptical oriozenge shaped body portions 11 and irregular polygonal expanded ends 12, the tubes being assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and 4 whereby fluid passages 13 and 14 are provided around 28 the body portion of the tubes and which are interconnected at the top and bottom of the radiator assembly by tanks or'conduits 15 and 16 having their outer walls connected by plates 2o. I: desired, a removable clean-out provided in the bottom tank 16.

The radiator is preferably divided into a plurality of cooling assemblies 18, 19, and 21 which are separated from each other by baiiies 22 and- 23 which extend from the ,top of tank 15 down 35 to the lower part of the tube assembly, care being taken-to have the bafiies spaced from .the bottom wall of tank.16, whereby the fluid may flow around the lower end of the battle from one cooling assembly to the other. Inlet and outlet 40 connections 26 and 2'7 respectively are secured to the upper tank 15, but it is realized that the location of the inlet and outlet connections may be placed upon the bottom tank 16, in which case the I baiiies will be reversed and will extend to the 45 bottom of tank 16' and be cut off at the top portion of the cooling tube assembly. 1 In the form shown in Fig. 1, two inlet connections 26 are provided through which the liquid flows downwardly in cooling assemblies 18 and 50 21 to the lower tank 16 and around the bai'iies 22 and 23,-and from thence upwardly to the center portion of the radiator 19, and from thence through outlet 27 to the source of supply (not shown). l6

and that passages 13 receive the flow from a pair,

of passages 14 and, therefore, the passage 13 sh oud be substantially twice the capacity of passages 14 in order to provide a uniform flow throughout the radiator. This arrangement is obtained in the present and preferred construction by a novel form of expanded end 12 which has the general shape shown symmetrical about coordinate axes or, in other words, has the form of an irregular polygon, certain sides of which form projections on opposite sides ofthe larger central portion. The construction of a preferred expanded end is clearly shown in Fig. 5, which is in the form of a twelve sided polygon, the sides 28 of which are flared outwardly from the body portion 11 of the tube and adapted to contact similar flared sides of adjacent tubes. The sides 29 are unflared and normally in a plane tangent to the sides of the body portion 11. Sides 31 and 32 are formed and project outwardly from the body portion 11 to form spacing projections, and sides 31 are preferably one-half the length of sides 29 whereby, in the assembled relation, the spaces around the expanded ends are completely fllled and the tubes may be secured in their assembled relation by soldering or other suitable means. If desired, only a single projection may be used, as shown in Fig. 8, in which case the elongated sides 30 are made the same length as sides 29.

It will be noted in the radiator assembly as shown in Fig. 3 that the sides 28 have their flared portions 33 in contact with a corresponding flared portion 33 of an adjacent tube and that the space between the unflared sides 29 is occupied by the projections formed by the unflared sides 31 and 32, and that, as sides 31 are one-halt the length of sides 29, the sides 32 are in abutting relation and the projections so space the tubes that the passages 12 are substantially twice the width of passages 13.

Enlargements or spacers 38 are preferably se-' cured to tubes 1!) at points intermediate their ends, which enlargements in the embodiment shown are of substantially the same form as the expanded ends 12, but the sides 3"! which form the projections are somewhat shorter than the sides 31, whereby the tubes are unsupported intnrmediate their ends for ordinary positions, but the projections will act as a stop to prevent distortion of the tubes beyond a predetermined.

amount measured by the clearance between adjacent projections. If desired, the sides 3'! may be of the same length as sides 31, in which case the tubes will be supported intermediate their ends in the nominal assembled relation, but it is preferred to give a slight spacing, as indicated in Fig. 7, to permit a free circulation of fluid around the enlargements as well as the tubes and to allow for expansion thereof.

While a preferred embodiment of the inven tion has been illustrated and described, it is understood that this showing and description are illiustrative only and that this invention is not regarded as limited to the form shown and described, or otherwise, except by the terms of the following claims.

What is claimed is: l. A radiator comprising a plurality of elliptical tubes, the end portions of said tubes b61118 "their ends expanded in a polygonal shape with certain of the sides being flared, and at least two sides being unflared, said flared sides of adjacent tubes being contiguous, said tube ends having means thereon for fllling the space between the unflared sides .of other adjacent tubes, and said tubes having their end portions sealed to enclose a fluid space. 1

3. A radiator comprising a plurality of tubes having their body portions symmetrical in cross section about coordinate axes, said tubes having their ends expanded in a polygonal shape with certain of the sides being flared, and at least two sides being unflared, said flared sides of adjacent tubes being contiguous, said tube ends having projections for fllling the space between the unflared sides of adjacent tubes, and said tubes having their end portions sealed to enclose a fluid space.

4. A radiator comprising a plurality of substantially elliptical shaped tubes forming combined and divided liquid spaces therebetween, said tubes being arranged to have the combined space of substantially twice the width of the divided space, said tubes having expanded ends for permanently securing the tubes in position, said ends having flared sides, unflared'sides and projections, said expanded ends cooperating to deflne the divided space, and said projections cooperating with the unflared sides of other tubes to define the combined space.

5. A radiator comprising a plurality of substantially elliptical shaped tubes forming combined and divided liquid spaces therebetween. said tubes being arranged to have the combined space of substantially twice the width of the divided space, said tubes having expanded ends for permanently securing the tubes in position, said ends having flared sides, unflared sides and projections, said flared ends cooperating to deline the divided space, and said projections cooperating with the untlared sides to deflne the combined space, said expanded ends being in the shape of an polygon symmetrical about coordinate axes.

6. A tube for a radiator having a central per tion and an expanded end portion in the form of a polygon having flared and unflared sides, and a projection.

7. A radiator comprising an assembly of tubes, the end portions of each tubebeing expanded to an irregular polygonal shape, said tubes beinz arranged to space the body portions unequally about coordinate axes and to have their sides abut the sides of adjacent tubes in sealing relation, and means for limiting movement of the tubes intermediate their ends.

8. A radiator comprising a plurality of tubes, said tubes having expanded ends in the form of an irregular polygon for providing a fluid space between the bodies of the tubes, said polygon having flared and unflared sides and spacing projections, the adjacent unflared sides of one pair of tubes .being contiguous to the spacing projections of another pair of tubes.

9. A radiator comprising a plurality of tubes,

1,oos,oos

said tubes having expanded ends in the form of an irregular polygon for providing a fiuid space between the bodies. of the tubes, said polygon having flared and unflared sides and spacing projections, the adjacent unflared sides of one pair of tubes being contiguous to the projections of another pair of tubes, the projections of the second pair being one-half the length oi the contiguous unfiared sides of the first pair and filling the space therebetween.

10. A radiator comprising an assembly of tubes, the end portions of said tubes being expanded and formed into polysided figures comprising flaring and unflaring sides with the flaring sides of adjacent tubes abutting each other and means for spacing the unflaring sides of adjacent tubes from each other to cause the body portions of the tubes to be spaced unequally about co-ordinate axes.

11. A radiator comprising a nest of tubes, the end portions 0! said tubes being expanded to form an irregular polygon, said expanded portions including a projection for laterally spacing tubes adjacent thereto, and means for sealing the contiguous portions of the ends 01' adjacent tubes, whereby a liquid space is formed between the body portions thereof.

a central horizontal axis, being greater than corresponding ordinates oi the body portions thereof, said axis being'equal for all portions of said tubes, and said expanded end portions being adapted to space tubes adjacent thereto, and means for sealing the contiguous sides of said end portions, whereby a fluid space is formed between the body portions of said tubes.

13. A radiator comprising a nest 0! tubes having expanded end portions, one of the coordinate axes of said end portions being equal to the corresponding axis of the body portions of said tubes, said expanded portions being adapted to space tubes adjacent thereto with respect to said axes, and means for sealing the contiguous sides of said end portions, whereby a fluid space is formed between said body portions.

14. In a radiator oi the character set forth in claim 10 wherein each tube carries means projecting between two adjacent tubes for the purpose set forth.

ALBERT S. HEINRICH. 

